Sunflower Fields

Going Au Natural

mamajo3304 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:47:28 +0000

Food isn’t just for nourishing the insides of our bodies. Did you know that common food items can be used to nourish the outsides of our bodies too? Whether you just want to try and save some money by not buying those expenisive beauty products, or you are trying to get back to the basics of au natural, these items might be for you.

By mixing a little bit of olive oil to a mashed banana and making a paste to put throughout your hair, you can restore some life to your dull hair. Do this before it’s shampooed and comb the mixture through your hair with a wide toothed comb. Let it sit for 20 minutes to an hour, whether you cover it or not is up to you. Then shampoo, rinse and style. You should notice a new shine and bounce to your hair.

I am sure that you never thought you would find a use for ketchup other than for dipping your delicious french fries in, but I am here to offer you an idea for another use. Ketchup is said to neutralize the green that comes out in blond hair from swimming. Simply apply ketchup on your freshly shampooed hair and comb it through with a wide toothed comb. After 20-45 minutes, rinse and style as your normally would. If it doesn’t work the first time, you might try it again the next time you shampoo.

Last but not least… everyone knows how hard it is to keep hair dye from getting on your neck or just outside of your hairline when coloring at home. If you take just a little bit of toothpaste and rub into that area, the abrasives that are in toothpaste will work the dye up and you should be able to just rinse away your little mistake.While I have not personally tried these methods, I have read about them and found them to be a quite interesting way to be less dependant of the products that cost so much. I also would like to point out that you don’t have to worry about animal testing when using natural products. Why not give it a try? Natual products for a naturally beautiful you!

I bought this produce, now what do I do with it?

mamajo3304 — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:11:02 +0000

Saving money is important, especially these days. But if you throw out what you have bought, even if it were on sale, you haven’t saved anything. Trying new fruits and vegetables, especially for the family who is switching from only eating junk food is a hard task when you don’t know what things are or how they taste. So the first step is to not only decide what, but how much of it to buy. Most fresh fruits won’t last past a week, so you must decide how many pieces of fruit your family will eat during that time. The good news is that most things can be bought individually, so just buying an individual piece of a fruit or vegetable and slicing up for a family taste testing might be in order. Make it a fun event for the family and keep notes on which family member likes which food for making your grocery lists in the coming weeks.

When buying something new, make sure you will have time that week to prepare it properly. Have your recipes on-hand before you buy so that you are not trying to figure out what to do with it while it is sitting in your kitchen getting old.

Knowing how to store your fresh fruits and vegetable is almost as important as how you prepare them. Fruits such as berries, grapes, citrus, and apples can be stored in the fridge. But did you know that you should keep your apples away from other fruits while storing? This is because apples naturally produce ethylene gas, which causes other fruits to ripen and consequently rot faster than normal. Melons, peaches, plums, and pears can be allowed to ripen on the counter.

Spinach, lettuce and other greens should be kept in an open bag in your fridge. Cucumber, radishes, eggplants and peppers can be stored in the fridge also. Tomatoes can be allowed to ripen on the counter. When storing in bags, just make sure that they are well ventilated. Potatoes and onions can be stored in a cool, dark space such as a decorative potato bin in your kitchen. Potatoes are one item that are very versatile in the ways they can be prepared, and since they keep for longer periods than most other items, they are a must have staple in your pantry. My advice is to not be scared of the produce department. Vegetables seem to have gotten a bad rap from our childhoods, but if you can research how to prepare them and have an open mind, you might just find your new favorite food.

Too expensive to eat healthy? Think again!

mamajo3304 — Wed, 20 May 2009 02:41:20 +0000

One of my excuses for not eating healthier has always been that fresh produce just costs too much. I have heard a lot of people use this same excuse, but does it really?Of course your prices are all going to depend on what sales are going on and generally you aren’t going to be able to use too many coupons in your produce department, but I am going to show you how you CAN eat healthier and stay within your budget.This comparision is going to take place using my favorite chain grocery store’s weekly sales ad. Your mileage may vary of course depending on the brands and your local prices, this is just to help put to rest the myth that it costs too much to be healthy.

A 14 oz box of cupcakes cost $2.58. This equals to about 18 cents per ounce.

A 12 oz bag of shredded lettuce is just 88 cents, a whopping 7 cents per ounce.

A bundle of fresh broccoli is just 97 cents, and a pound package of strawberries are 7 cents per ounce. And that bag of chips? You will pay approximately 18 cents per ounce.

You get the picture… you CAN eat healthier and cheaper. Sometimes we just want something quick and easy, so of course junk food fits the bill… but my suggestion is to get your fruits and veggies and chop them up and store in an easy to grab container. Your body will thank you with good health, and your billfold just might be thicker for it.